Little Fox, Archaeologist.

Hello Blog World.

Little Fox, Archaeologist here.  I am back in the Northwest doing more work for the museum.  Of course, I am still a student archaeologist so I am at the beck and call of the museum.  Speaking of working cheap, Sequoia decided to come alone for the hike today.

The museum needed documentation of a old train station.  I am in Mt. St. Helen's country and if you happened to be alive back in the stone ages Mt. St. Helen's erupted and caused some damage.   The train tracks are supposed to be decommissioned but not because of Mt. St. Helen's damage (as this archaeological student thought). 

Might need to get a closer look.  This could be a clue.  Nope. just a trail marker

Onward.  Moulton Falls is along the route.  More of a rapid than a falls. 

Looks like old train tracks.  I might be on the right track to the old station (no pun intended).

I crossed the river successfully.  On the other side there was a nice viewing platform of the falls.

Sequoia led me on the trail to Yacolt Falls.  

I know I am close to the train station.  From my research I am looking for a railroad line built in the 1880s.  The line was used to transport logs and other natural resources from the area to lumber mills in Vancouver.  As with most railroads they lost money, changed ownership too many times to count, and was moderately operational until the mill was permanently closed. 

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Sequoia is really earning his keep today.  Looks like he found the station

Looks like I made it to the Moulton Falls station. 

There is an abbreviated history of the railroad line.  Looks like the current owner is the Chelatchie Prairie RR.   

Well.  This sign is not 100% complete.  Makes you wonder what else they have to say.  Perhaps this would be something I could pitch to the museum for further research????

Wildflowers in Bloom

Hello Blog Friends,

I am patiently waiting for my roommates to get their act together so we can start today's adventure.  It's prime wildflower season so I am hoping to see lots of wildflowers on my adventure today. Let's go!

Sequoia came along for the hike today.  You can see some balsamroot to the right.  

This log is perfect for me. 

So many miles to hike. 

The sky is blue, the flowers are at full blast and it's almost lunch time.  What more does a fox need? 

My fur contrasts nicely with the flowers. 

Mt. Hood in the background.

I believe this plant is Indian Paintbrush, probably not the scientific name.  A good spot for lunch for sure. 

On the way down from the hike I saw in the far distance a long train.  Jerry and Ben, do you see it?

That picture is great, I know J and B love trains and if I don't say so myself the engine is "fox orange", a new color I am trying to trademark. 

Here's a professional picture of a similar train (again, note the "fox orange" color of the engine. 

Little Fox: Archeologist in search of the Oregon Trail.

I received an urgent message from the museum begging me to do some research to try and find remnants of the Oregon Trail.  Being an adventurous fox I was ready for the challenge.  I started my adventure at a state park on the Deschutes River near the Columbia River.  What a nice day for a trip.

I had to do some hiking before I was out of the populated area of the park to the area where I thought I could find some artifacts.  Too hot for my archeologist hat, whip, and satchel.

The USGS monitors the level of the Deschutes River and they have one of these thingy's.  Too bad, it's behind a fence so I won't be able to access it anytime soon.

I started getting away from the river and higher up in the country.   Possible Oregon Trail remnants ahead.  If I find anything the museum is going to be very happy with me and probably extend my archeology contract another year.

The flowers are out in full swing.  I am look smashing next to this Lupine don't I?

Acres of Balsamroot were out too.  Although,  I am a little late in the season for the full bloom of Balsamroot it's still showing well today. 

Back to the job at hand.  I am hoping to find some ruts from wagons coming this way on the Oregon Trail.  Looks like Sequoia found something.  Let's see. 

Ah, leave it to a dog to find a comfy place for a fellow canine to rest. 

I better follow the middle trail - seems like a good idea doesn't it?

Trains!  Jerry and Ben this post if for you. Trains and I believe the word Deschutes is from the French Trappers from years ago. 

Looks like Sequoia found something.

It's an old trail, not the Oregon Trail but apparently this area was a stagecoach route during the 1860s (after the Oregon Trail craze).  Not what I was hoping for but probably enough to keep me on as resident canine archeologist at the museum.  

A room with a view

Recently, my roommates took me on a  weekend overnight to a historic hotel.

We stayed in Room 13, which I highly recommend for Jerry and Ben to come out, stay in that specific room. Here is the view from that room.

Do you see the train?  It was literally across the street and the tracks were busy.  Freight trains and Amtrak alike.

Of course with trains outside your window comes a train station as well.

I look very stoic here don't I?  This information might be helpful.  Perhaps I take Amtrak to Canada next time, versus budget class on Canadian Goose Airlines.  

Now that my research is done, let's see what is around town.  I read that there was a farm that sells homemade apple fritters and has goats on display.

I appreciate how they have this animal listed as a "goat".  I didn't know that.

Local honey in the farm shop.  Is $6.99 a good price?

You could also buy bags of animal feed to feed the goats.  I bought some and told my roommates to feed the goats, they get very excited about the food (probably a nice change from eating grass all day).  Anyway, best I stay away from the feeding goats as I have heard they eat anything.

Besides visiting the farm my roommates thought we better go to the Wolf Sanctuary nearby. 

A couple of wolves in the settlements.  They eat raw meat (yuk) and get pumpkins for enrichment.  This sanctuary also has some wolf-dogs and coyotes in it. No foxes though.  

Being a little fox I must admit I stayed close to my roommates (very close) at the sanctuary.  Those wolves, wolf-dogs, and coyotes were big.  I was brave enough to hang out with this wolf. 

All of this sightseeing has made me hungry.  This place looks interesting, my only question is what should I get?